


Chain of Evidence

by Jemisard



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:48:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25274179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemisard/pseuds/Jemisard
Summary: The GCPD has the Nygma plea to contend with and now everyone seems to be working at half speed. Barnes wants to know why.(Hint: It's the fact that Ed Nygma was the brightest, hardest worked the GCPD had and none of them seem to be aware of it.)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	Chain of Evidence

"I have six serial robberies, twelve murders and a whole host of petty crimes and none of them has been closed in the last week. Does anyone have any explanations for this?"

Barnes was disappointed. He was making his disappointment felt throughout the bullpen. Detectives shuffled papers and feet, people found things on their desk that needed their attention.

"Anyone?!"

"It's the evidence, sir."

Barnes looked to Alvarez, turning his whole hearted disappointment on the other man. "What about it?"

Alvarez shrugged awkwardly, looking about for someone to help him out. Faces stayed firmly averted.

"What. About. It?"

"They haven't finished processing the last robbery scene, sir." Martinez's voice was firm despite her nerves. "They said that with the number of exclusionary prints they'd had to run, it would be another two days for any confirmed prints."

"I asked for a list of suppliers for the silicate... something powder from the Davis murder and they told me it wasn't their problem," Mueller added. "I can barely pronounce it, let alone tell you what it does or who uses it."

"The impact evidence from the Kane scene is 'probably a hammer'. I was hoping for something out of the evidence to help narrow down the suspect list." Alvarez held up his list, which was everyone with access to the passcode to the house and sat at some thirty individuals. "They couldn't even tell me if they were taller or shorter than the victim."

"You're police detectives! It's not like your evidence has suddenly changed on you!" Barnes thumped his hands on the railing. "Gordon! Bullock! My office!"

The bullpen breathed out a collective sigh as Barnes strode back to his office. Bullock gave Gordon a long suffering look and pushed out of his seat, setting his glasses on his paperwork.

It was a familiar delaying move. Gordon went in ahead, letting Bullock follow up and close the doors.

"Jim, what the hell is going on? I have enough stress with the Nygma plea without and entire bullpen suddenly forgetting how-"

"That's the problem. Sir." Gordon cut Barnes off before he really worked himself up. "Nygma. Ed. He was our forensics support."

"You have a lab with a tech and two-"

"No. You don't understand. Nygma's completely unhinged, but he worked more hours than anyone else here. Remember the Hargrove case? Just before Arkham-?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Bullock agreed, nodding slowly. "Ed turns up with a name plate that was in the explosion, led us to where Hargrove was being held hostage. Tiny thing, surprised it wasn't missed in all the shrapnel from the bomb."

"Right. And the Viper case, he basically told us what it was, what you'd need to make it and who the only place capable of making it would be."

"Yeah. He did. And the Ogre case..."

"He found the withheld evidence. Must have taken him half the night."

"Gentlemen. Do you mean to tell me that my entire police department has been dependent on a criminally insane lab technician to solve cases?"

"No!" Bullock looked offended. "He just- helped out. He was always hanging around, looking to insert himself into things."

"He made things go a lot faster," Gordon stated. "I think.. he thought if he could contribute more, help out, maybe he'd be seen as one of the team. And the department got used to relying on him going the extra mile."

"So, yes, my detectives have become lazy and relied on a _lab tech_ to solve cases." Barnes waved his hand, dismissing them. "Get out. Go and remember how to solve crimes on your own."

Gordon ushered Bullock out ahead of him, before he said something everyone would regret later. "He's not wrong, Harvey. I know Ed's a multiple murderer and he tried-"

"-succeeded-"

"-to frame me for murder, but you have to admit, he was brilliant at forensics."

"Which was _how_ he framed you, Jim. Remember?"

"I know, I know." Gordon sat on the edge of their desks, arms folded across his chest. "It's a pity. All that brilliance, turned to crime and for what? To get some kind of revenge? To clear his name for that revenge by framing someone else?"

"Thinking about it isn't going to clear our backlog, Jimbo. Forget it, we have a huge forensics hole to dig out of that he's left us with."

Gordon slid into his seat and pushed Edward Nygma out of his mind. It was surprisingly easily done.


End file.
